Infiniti to sell luxury EV in 2013

Nissan-owned luxury vehicle marque Infiniti will follow its parent into the EV market, the company has confirmed, releasing its first electric vehicle in 2013.

First sketches of the car show a sweeping sedan, which will challenge the luxury electric vehicles expected to be released by premium automakers such as Audi and BMW over the coming years.

Infiniti says that the vehicle will be a stylish, high performance five-seat luxury vehicle with zero emissions technology.

It is said to be based on the same platform as the Nissan Leaf, set to go on sale later this year.

Until Infiniti’s EV hits the roads, eco-conscious fans of the brand will have to make do with the Infiniti M35h (pictured below), a hybrid model set to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show this week.

Set to go on sale in the US and Europe in 2011, the M35h is Nissan’s first attempt at challenging its rival Toyota’s dominance of the hybrid market with the Prius — its current Altima hybrid uses technology by Toyota.